Arrowsmith Exercises
The Catholic Education Office in Sydney has that from 2013 it will trial the controversial Arrowsmith Program for children with learning difficulties. Arrowsmith is one of a number of “brain-training” programs currently on the market. Along with others such as and, they claim to stimulate or re-organise a child’s brain to make it better, faster, and more efficient, helping to alleviate the symptoms of any specific learning difficulty. On the surface, these programs sound beneficial. Isn’t the brain just another muscle that benefits from being “in training”? It’s time to take a closer look at their claims and examine whether this type of program should really be trialed in schools.
Brain-training jargon The first point to note is that the term “brain-training” is a tautology. All learning happens in the brain. And so any intervention that is given to a child, will, in some way then, “train their brain”. So the question is not should we train children’s brains, but how should we train their brains? Or in old-fashioned terms, what should we “teach” children and how should we help them “learn”, particularly when there are learning difficulties at play? The concepts that underlie many of these brain training programs sound intuitively right – like the idea that the brain needs to be exercised in order to function optimally., the program can be “thought of as a type of mental work out for the brain” in which “underfunctioning areas are treated like weak muscles and are intensely stimulated through cognitive exercises”. This is rather an odd idea given that the brain is “working out” all the time – constantly receiving, analysing and responding to masses of stimuli.
Reading the paper, walking down the street, chatting to a friend - all of these involve an enormous number of complex neural processes. The brain is hardly sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating chips. The idea that the brain needs a mental workout doesn’t hold much water when we know the brain is working out pretty hard every waking (and even sleeping) moment. Plastic brains A concept underlying many brain-training programs, including Arrowsmith’s, is that of “neuroplasticity”. This idea stems that shows that parts of the brain designed for one function can adapt to perform new ones. Brains adapt depending on how they are stimulated. But if neuroplasticity tells us that the brain can adapt, it does not tell us how the brain should be stimulated (or trained).
The Arrowsmith Exercises Clock Online
Thus, neuroplasticity does not tell us about how to treat learning difficulties. Despite this, programs that claim to be based on neuroplasticity have strong opinions about how this should be done. Arrowsmith states that it “identifies, intervenes and strengthens the weak cognitive capacities that affect learning. Students are able to capitalise on their increased learning capacities and after a three or four year program can function without special education assistance or program accommodations”.
They that this “has proven effective for students having difficulty with reading, writing and mathematics, comprehension, logical reasoning, problem solving, visual and auditory memory, non-verbal learning, attention, processing speed and dyslexia”. ‘Brain training’ in formal education? The main issue for the Catholic Education Office in Sydney, and indeed any schools system considering these kinds of programs is the issue of evidence. At the moment, the effect of the Arrowsmith program on skills such as reading and writing has not been tested in a randomised control trial, and so there is no direct evidence for their claims. We know that children with reading difficulties make the largest gains in programs that target training directly on literacy skills. Programs that attempt to improve literacy by targeting skills that are presumed to underpin reading, such auditory processing or, are known to be less effective. Similarly, programs that aim to improve multiple skills at the same time – reading, maths, attention, memory, problem solving – tend to be less effective than programs that focus just on trying to improve reading.
If there was evidence supporting the claims of programs like Arrowsmith, or indeed any “brain training” programs, then the landscape would be very different. But in the absence of such evidence, teachers and parents should concentrate on the methods that are proven to assist children with learning difficulties. You can follow follow and on Twitter.
The Eaton Arrowsmith Approach At Eaton Arrowsmith we teach our students a series of exercises to help them strengthen their brains and address the cognitive weaknesses that cause their specific learning difficulties. All of our schools operate on the principle of neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to be strengthened over time with targeted training. This sets us apart from other learning intervention programs.
Traditionally, a student who struggled with handwriting, for example, would learn to use a keyboard or be given more time to write tests. We don’t teach students to work around their difficulties; we help them address them.
Over a 35-year history, Arrowsmith graduates have returned to public and private schools with an increased ability to learn. Our students go on to complete university degrees, find employment in their chosen fields, and pursue their dreams. The Arrowsmith Program Think of the Arrowsmith Program like exercise for your child’s brain – mental training.
Going to the gym has countless benefits for our muscles, heart and overall health. Cognitive exercises have a similar effect: they get the brain into shape so it has a greater capacity to absorb information. If you were to try and run a marathon without training, it would be a challenging, if not, impossible task.
But if you ran a little further every day for a year, you would definitely finish the race and might even win. Like an athlete’s body, each student’s brain is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses. Anyone, regardless of age, can strengthen their brain using intensive and graduated mental exercises and overcome their learning difficulties. Barbara Arrowsmith-Young founded the Arrowsmith School in 1980. Born with severe learning disabilities that caused teachers to label her slow and stubborn, she used her excellent memory and work ethic to get through school. Arrowsmith-Young then created a series of exercises that helped her address her own brain deficits after discovering research while at graduate school.
The Arrowsmith School has now used these exercises for more than 35 years. For additional information on Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, please visit her or consult her book,. The Magnussen Approach At Magnussen, we give children the opportunity to develop their interests and skills in a small, supportive classroom setting. Our students are curious, passionate learners, but do not thrive in mainstream schools simply because the structure prevents them from exploring their interests. Not all children learn in the same way. Some students are independent learners, while others need more emotional support and encouragement. Magnussen celebrates each child as an individual.
Our classes have no more than 10 students. We believe in Attachment Theory, which states that humans thrive when they develop lasting, psychological connections with others. Our teachers are supportive, understanding and trained to help unique learners unlock their potential. Eaton Arrowsmith and Magnussen work collaboratively to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our students through Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness practices, and the importance of strong community relationships, which foster a safe school environment. We strongly believe that every child deserves an education free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, intimidation and violence. Our goal is to create a community where each child feels safe, accepted and respected, regardless of their gender, race, culture, religion or sexual orientation.